Paul H. Winquist

Niles City Police Department

End of Watch: November 11, 1980

On November 11, 1980, Detective/Captain Paul Winquist was driving eastbound on U.S. 12, a ½ mile east of Oak Grove in Jefferson Township, Cass County, when his unmarked squad car went off the roadway, through a fence and overturned. A Cass County Road Commission truck discovered the accident at 1:24 p.m. Help arrived shortly but Winquist was pronounced dead at the scene. His death was believed to have resulted from a medical condition and not from the traffic accident.

Detective/Captain Paul Winquist was born on September 26, 1927 and resided in Niles. He had been with the Niles Police Department for 23 years and was named acting Chief in January of 1974, but returned to his rank as Captain when a permanent chief was hired.